Scene: Newt found Lana near the tool shed, stacking crates like nothing had happened.
"You told them Y/N endangered the Glade," he said, voice low but sharp.
Lana didn't flinch. "I said what I saw."
"No," Newt stepped closer, "you said what you wanted people to believe. You twisted it."
"She broke rules."
"She saved someone," Newt snapped. "And you turned her bravery into gossip."
Lana scoffed. "Maybe she shouldn't act like she's invincible."
Newt's eyes darkened. "She doesn't act invincible. She acts like she has no choice."
He walked away before his anger boiled over.
That night, he found Y/N by the pond again—knees hugged to her chest, eyes reflecting moonlight.
"You shouldn't be alone," he said gently.
She didn't look up. "I didn't want you to see me like this."
Newt sat beside her. "I already have."
She hesitated, then whispered, "I try to be strong because if I'm not... who will be? People count on me. And if I fall apart, I'm scared everything else will too."
Newt's heart ached. "You don't have to carry it all."
"I do," she said, voice cracking. "Because if I don't, I feel useless. Like I'm just... taking up space."
He reached for her hand. "You're not useless. You're the reason half of us are still standing."
She finally looked at him, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I just want to be enough."
Newt pulled her into a hug, holding her like he could shield her from every cruel word.
"You're more than enough," he whispered. "Even when you're hurting. Especially then."
Newt's Reaction (retelling the moment):
"Lana saw defiance. I saw courage."
"Y/N thinks strength means silence. But that night, by the pond, she let me see the cracks."
"And I loved her more for every one."
